Research In Motion (RIM) today announced the availability of new developer tools for creating and testing innovative, mobile-savvy applications for the BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphones. Here is more info:

The developer tools include new versions of the BlackBerry Java Development Environment (BlackBerry JDE) that enable the streamlined development of mobile applications, as well as desktop simulators for the BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphones that accelerate mobile application testing. The new BlackBerry JDE versions and simulators are available as free downloads at www.blackberry.com/developers and will be showcased at the BlackBerry Developer Conference (www.blackberrydeveloperconference.com) on October 20-22, 2008 in Santa Clara, California.

BlackBerry JDE v4.7, available today in public beta, enables mobile application development for BlackBerry Device Software v4.7 which runs on the new BlackBerry Storm smartphone. It includes the ability to develop an application that works seamlessly on both touch-screen and keyboard based BlackBerry smartphones. New APIs available with BlackBerry JDE v4.7 that enable developers to take advantage of the new features of the BlackBerry Storm smartphone include:

* Touch-Screen Support ? Allow applications with custom user interfaces to receive input from taps, slides and other gestures on a BlackBerry Storm smartphone. * Orientation and Rotation Support ? Enable an application to support portrait and landscape orientations and re-draw the screen when the BlackBerry Storm smartphone is rotated. * Accelerometer Support ? Enable 360 degree motion sensing for advanced gaming applications and other motion-sensitive applications. * Virtual Keyboard Control ? Control when a virtual keyboard is visible to the user within an application, and when the user can show or hide a keyboard within specified screens. * Camera and Media Integration ? Build camera and video recording capabilities into a custom application and add a "Send to" menu option that enables photos or recorded videos to be sent from within the custom application. * Set Homescreen Background Image ? Enable an application to set the background image on a BlackBerry smartphone?s home screen.

BlackBerry JDE v4.6, now generally available, enables mobile application development for BlackBerry Device Software v4.6 which currently runs on the BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphones. The following APIs are introduced in BlackBerry JDE v4.6 and are also available with BlackBerry JDE v4.7:

* Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) ? Create compelling interactive graphical interfaces, drawings and animation using vector-based 2D graphics. * Location-Based Services (LBS) ? Use the Locator API to add LBS capabilities to mobile applications. * Multimedia Integration ? Embed audio and video playback in a mobile application and enable the application to capture images using a BlackBerry smartphone?s camera. * Customized Messages and Alerts ? Create an integrated experience between a mobile application and a BlackBerry smartphone by displaying custom information directly in a message list or on the home screen. Application messages can appear in BlackBerry Messenger or other instant messaging applications. Alerts appear as indicator icons on the home screen banner and on the external LCD of a BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphone. * Multiple Calendar and Contact List Support ? Enable a mobile application to access a secondary calendar and contact list databases for users that wish to connect their BlackBerry smartphone to both a BlackBerry? Enterprise Server installation at work and a BlackBerry? Unite!? installation at home. * Time Zone Enhancements ? Enable mobile applications dependent on time zone information to access, display, retrieve and set time zone information. * D?cor Enhancements ? Control visual properties of a user interface. * SMS & MMS Listener ? Set applications to automatically update content or alter the progress of a function based on preset criteria that can be triggered by SMS and MMS messages.

In addition to the new APIs, developers can also take advantage of new features for the development of browser-based mobile applications, including improved web page rendering with AJAX, JavaScript? 1.5, CSS 2.1, DOM L2 (including Core, HTML, Style, Events) and HTML 4.01 (including Forms, Maps, Tables, Frames, Objects), as well as support for downloading files via the browser.

"The latest versions of the BlackBerry Java Development Environment present developers with opportunities to create innovative, mobile-savvy applications that take advantage of the robust feature sets of the BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Pearl Flip smartphones," said Alan Brenner, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry platforms at Research In Motion. "Each new BlackBerry smartphone presents an opportunity for mobile developers to create new applications or extend their innovations with the latest advances in mobile technology and application development."